Endless tape unwinding and rewinding device



H. D. POST 3,365,140 ENDLESS TAPE UNWINDING AND REWINDING DEVICE Jan. 23, 1968 Filed Oct. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. 92M m 'BY United States Patent 3,365,140 ENDLESS TAPE UNWINDING AND REWINDING DEVICE Herman D. Post, 7 Chester Drive, Great Neck, N.Y. Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,393 14 Claims. (Cl. 24255.19)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for winding an endless enlongated band having a length many times its width comprises support means in form of a substantially horizontal support surface which supports a portion of the band on edge in such a manner that the band forms a plurality of convolutions the inner and outer of which are interconnected by an elongated loop. Agitator means agitates the support means so as to cyclically move the support means along a substantially circular path and for periodically varying the contact pressure between the support means and portions of the convoluted portion of the band whereby the convoluted portion of the band is rotated and the band is longitudinally advanced along the path substantially occupied by the loop. Guide means guides the band for movement along this loop.

This invention relates to apparatus for imparting rotational movement to a mass resting on a support, and more particularly the mass of a coiled endless band for continuously moving the same.

Known mechanisms for winding endless bands are cumbersome and complicated. Normally such bands are very thin and/ or have very low tensile strength characteristics. In this category falls, for example, punched paper tape which may be used in equipment adapted to continuously reproduce information carried on the tape. The paper tape, further weakened by the holes punched therein, frequently tears unless the equipment used is provided with mechanisms which sense and maintain below a predetermined limit the stresses applied to the tape during its passage through the equipment. Such equipment, however, is very complicated and therefore very expensive to manufacture and to maintain. With the positive tape drive winding apparatus known to me great care must be taken to assure that all drive members along the path of the tape throughout the equipment are accuratelv synchronized in order to avoid excessive stress on the tape.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive apparatus for winding an endless elongated band using a novel means for driving the band along the requisite path.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus for rotating a loosely supported mass.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which will propel the band and deliver it from an inner convolution of a coiled endless band to the outer convolution thereof via an elongated loop, without subjecting the band to any undue stresses or strains which might damage or tear the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type described by means of which an endless band may be moved continuously or intermittently in a continuous path from the inner convolution of a coiled band through a recording or reproducing mechanism and back to the outer convolution of the coiled band without undue strain or intricate twists or loops in the band.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described by means of which the band may readily be detached, as a unit, from an information recording or reproducing apparatus, or may readily :be inserted therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described wherein only the coiled convolution portion of the band is driven for moving the band from the coiled portion to the remainder of the information recording or reproducing apparatus back to the coiled portion thus eliminating any necessity for synchronizing drive members along the route of the band.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which will readily and efficiently drive, support and handle other strips or sections of material of a nature or usage similar to punched paper tape.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which will readily and efficiently drive the endless elongated band in a manner described without the necessity of accurately positioning the coiled portion of the band with respect to its support.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which will drive endless elongated flexible bands carrying information or adapted to receive information thereon such as, for example, characters, codes, sound tracks, images, perforations, printing, photographs, which may be projected, shown, displayed, reproduced, recorded, or otherwise utilized in a continuous manner.

With these objects in view the invention includes an apparatus for rotating a mass about an axis thereof, comprising support means supporting the mass for relative movement therewith, an agitator means for agitating the support means to cyclically move the same along a substantially circular path whose axis is substantially parallel to the axis of the mass and for periodically varying the contact pressure between the support means and portions of the mass supported thereon whereby the mass is rotated about its aforesaid axis.

More particularly, the invention includes an apparatus for Winding an endless elongated band having a length many times its width, comprising support means supporting a portion of the band on edge in the form of a coil having a plurality of convolutions, the inner and outer convolutions being interconnected by an elongated loop, and agitator means for agitating the support means in the manner noted above for thereby rotating the convoluted portion of the band supported by the support means. As a result of such rotation the band may be played out from the innermost convolution thereof and wound up on the outermost convolution thereof whereby the band is longitudinally advanced along the path which is substantially occupied by the elongated interconnecting loop. Guide means are provided for guiding the band for movement along the interconnecting loop.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and to its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood in the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly diagrammatic elevation of one possible embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partly diagrammatic, partly sectional view of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated therein an endless elongated flexible band 1 having a length many times its width and having a portion spirally wound in the form of a coil 2 having a plurality of convolutions wound about a central fixed axis A and extending from an innermost convolution 3 progressively to an outermost convolution 4, i.e., wound in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. The band has an elongated loop 5 which interconnects the innermost and the outermost convolution and has a portion extending beyond the outermost convolution 4. The convoluted or coiled portion 2 of the band 1 is supported on edge, i.e., flatwise, on a supporting means 6 which may include a substantially horizontal plate 6a. The apparatus further comprises generally agitator means 8 resiliently supported for three dimensional movement by resilient support means shown as springs 11. The support means 6 is carried by the agitator means 8 for movement therewith. Agitator means 8 are arranged to agitate the support means 6 to cyclically move the same along a substantially circular path and for periodically varying the contact pressure between the support means 6 and portions of the convoluted portion 2 of the band 1 supported thereon for thereby rotating the convoluted portion 2 of the band whereby the band 1 is longitudinally advanced along the path which is substantially occupied by the loop 5. In the preferred embodiment the agitator means 6 comprises an electric motor 9 having a vertical rotary shaft 7 whose axis of rotation is in idle condition, concentric with the fixed axis A and which has an eccentric weight 10 fixed thereto at one end thereof. When the motor 9 is energized, rotation of shaft 7 causes the eccentric weight 10 to swing about the axis of the shaft 7 resulting in unbalanced forces producing a wobbling movement of the support plate (in.

Stationary guide means 12 are provided along the loop 5 formed by the band 1 for guiding for movement along the aforesaid loop. The stationary guide means 12 may be any suitable guide member spaced from the support means 6 and having a portion embracing the band 1 and guiding the same for movement, or guide means 12 may include reproducing and/or recording means 12a such as a magnetic tape head, a punched hole reader or a tape perforating head adapted to cooperate with the band 1 for reproducing or recording information therefrom or thereon, respectively. Known auxiliary equipment being provided and connected to said reproducing and/ or recording means to transform incoming or outgoing signals into usable form. Stationary guide means 12 may include a pair of spaced rollers 13 for guiding the band thereabout and a pair of longitudinal opposed guide rails 13a arranged to guide the band 1 along its edges intermediate the rollers 13 and arranged to guide the band in the region of the reproducing and/or recording means 12a. The latter are thus positioned along the path substantially occupied by loop 5 and cooperate with the band as it moves along the loop 5. As noted above, the reproducing and recording means 12a may constitute a part of the guide means 12 and in some instances may entirely replace the guide means 12.

Second guide means may be provided to guide coil 2 for rotation substantially about its own axis. Thus, such second guide means may include peripheral guide means having guide members 14 connected to and constituting part of the support means 6 and circumferentially spaced about the outermost convolution 4 of the convoluted portion 2 of band 1 substantially coaxially with the fixed axis A. The peripheral guide members 14 are adapted to contain the outermost convolution and thereby the entire coil 2 within a predetermined region substantially coaxial with the said axis. An inner guide means including an inner guide member 15 also constitutes part of the second guide means and may also be fixed to the support plate 6a concentrically with the fixed axis A. Inner guide member 15, when fixed to the support plate as illustrated in FIG. 1, extends into and beyond the space defined by the inner convolution 3 and is adapted to cooperate with the band of the latter is withdrawn from the innermost convolution 3 to form the loop 5. It would, of course, not constitute a departure from the invention to mount the inner guide member 15 and/ or the outer guide members 14 so as to extend downwardly from a stationary frame rather than constituting part of the support means 6.

In order to exemplify the operation of the apparatus so far described let us assume that the band carried by the apparatus is an elongated punched paper tape having its two ends attached to each other so as to form a single endless band. In the assumed form, the band 1 carries information in the form of punched holes. The entire band, irrespective of its length, is wound in spiral fashion, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and rests fiatwise upon the planar, substantially horizontally disposed support plate 6a with an elongated loop 5 interconnecting the innermost and outermost convolutions 3, 4 respectively. When the motor 9 is energized shaft 7 rotates at a predetermined speed rotating the eccentric weight 1% which results in unbalanced forces cyclically moving the support means 6 along a substantially circular path in a wobbling-type movement. In other words, While moving along the aforesaid substantially circular path the support surface of the support plate 6a assumes positions incline with respect to the horizontal. The coil 2 which is only resting on the support plate 6a tries, due to its own weight, to follow the cyclical movement and change of inclination of the support plate do but, due to its own inertia, cannot fully follow such movement with the result that during portions of each cycle the contact pressure between the support means 6 and portions of the convoluted portion 2 of the band 1 supported therein is periodically varied. This periodic variation in contact pressure during the cyclical movement of the support means along the aforesaid substantially circular path has been found to result in rotational movement of the coiled portion 2 of the band 1.

If the agitator means 8 is arranged to produce a clockwise movement of the support means 6 along the circular path as viewed in FIG. 2, i.e. in a direction opposite to the direction in which the convolutions of coil 2 are wound from the inner to the outermost convolution there of, the coil 2 will be caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, to take up the band 1 on the outermost convolution 4 and to withdraw the band 1 from the innermost convolution 3. Thus, clockwise rotation of the eccentric weight 19 as viewed in FIG. 2, in response to actuation of the electric motor 9 would cause movement of the support means 6 along the substantially circular path with the axis A of the support means 6, i.e., the axis which is coincident with axis A when the agitator means is at rest, describing a conical surface of revolution A" to produce the aforesaid wobbling motion of the support plate 6a. Rotation of the coil 2 in the manner indicated results in the band 1 being advanced longitudinally along the path which is substantially occupied by the loop 5 from the innermost to the outermost convolutions thereof.

Support means 6, it will be noted, do not rotate. The support plate 6a is not rotated but rather is moved in its entirety cyclically along a. substantially circular path substantially maintaining its original orientation, however, at all times. The constantly changing direction of inclination of the support surface .of support plate 6a resulting from the aforesaid wobblin-g motion imparted thereto results, as aforesaid, in periodic variation of the contact pressure between the support means 6 and portions of the coil 2 which due to its inertia tends to remain in its substantially horizontal rest position of FIG. 1. The resulting vibratory movement between plate 6a and coil 2 causes coil 2 to rotate.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 a support plate 6a is permanently inclined with respect to the horizontal and is slidably carried on the surface of a support frame 17. Guide members 16a constrain support plate 6a to undergo only movements in its own plane, i.e., along the surface of frame 17. Agitator means 8' including an electric motor 9, a rotary shaft 7 and an eccentric weight 10 are connected to the plate 6a and extend with play through an enlarged opening in the frame 17 so that rotation of the eccentric weight 10' by the electric motor 9' will result in plate 6a being moved along a substantially circular path within its own plane inclined with respect to the horizontal at the angle alpha. Resilient means in the form of springs 11a may be provided to act on the support plate 6a in directions substantially coplanar therewith so as to urge the plate 6a toward its central position indicated in FIG. 3. constituting part of the support means in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3 are peripheral guide means 14 located adjacent the lowermost peripheral portion of the coil 2. The vibratory movement imparted to the support plate 6a, and the guide member 14' fixed thereto, by the agitator means 8', results in periodic variation of the contact pressure between the support means 6' and portions of the convoluted portion of the band supported thereon while the support means 6' is cyclically moved on a substantially circular path. As a result, coil 2 rotates and the band 1 is longitudinally advanced along the path which is substantially occupied by the loop 5.

The paper strip constituting the band 1 in the assumed embodiment, and which carries information thereon in the form of punched holes, has, of course, very low tensile strength characteristics. Not only is a paper strip of long length and reasonably thin material relatively weak in longitudinal direction thereof, but in the assumed embodiment the extremely large number of punched holes which represent the information carried by the tape additionally and tremendously weaken the same. Not only is the tape weakened, but it is weakened unevenly along the length thereof depending upon the number and spacing of the punched holes, something which is determined entirely by the particular information recorded thereon.

The Vibrational movement, i.e. the movement imparted to the coil support means to move the same cyclically along a substantially circular path while at the same time periodically varying the contact pressure between the support means and portions of the coil, need not be produced in the illustrated manner but can be produced by any other agitator arrangement, the important thing be ing only that whatever agitiator or vibrator arrangement is used the movement imparted to the support means must be cyclical and along a substantially circular path and the contact pressure between the support means and portions of the coil must be periodically varied.

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 the coiled portion 2 of the band 1 constitutes a cylindrical mass which is loosely supported, i.e. rests under its own weight, flatwise on the support means. Surprising results have been obtained with apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment where an endless band is not posi tively driven but rather is loosely supported, as aforesaid, and agitated. The agitation in the manner described above causes the coil to rotate about its own axis resulting in longitudinal advanement of the band along elongated loop connecting the innermost and outermost convolutions thereof. Longitudinal advancement of the elongated band is thus achieved without any positive drive arrangement, without the need for synchronizing various drives along the path of the tape, and without the necessity for accurate bearings to rotatably support the coil 2. In other words the coil 2 rotates when the support means 6a vibrates in the manner already described.

Insertion and removal of coiled bands from the wind ing apparatus is, of course, extremely simple since no accurate alignment of the coiled portion is necessary nor need the band he threaded into any positive drive mem bers. Instead, the coiled portion of the band is merely rested upon its support means and the elongated loop placed into the reproducing or recording portion of the equipment. During operation of the apparatus the initial spacing of the convolutions forming the coil 2 is substantially maintained automatically as a result of the vibratory movement. An apparatus according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and using an electric motor rotating at a speed of 1720 rpm. has been found to rotate a coil of endless punched paper tape of standard size having an outer diameter of approximately six inches and containing approximately 100 convolutions, at a constant uniform rate so that the portion of the tape passing the loop guide means at a point approximately twelve inches from the coil axis similarly moved at a constant uniform rate so that recording information thereon or reproducing information therefrom was possible.

It would of course not constitute a departure from the invention to provide a variable speed agitator means whereby the speed of longitudinal advancement of the tape can be varied at the will of the operator. Nor would it be a departure from the invention to provide a reversible electric motor which could be reversed so as to reverse the direction of rotation of the coil to play out the band from the outermost convolution and take up the band on the innermost convolution.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of apparatus different from the types described above.

It should be noted that it is also possible to use the arrangement according to the present invention not only for winding endless bands-for instance endless tapes but the arragement claimed can also be advantageously used for winding up any band or tape on a reel. In this event the reel is mounted on the agitated support means concentrically with the axis thereof, and one end of the band or tape is attached to the reel. The reel is then permitted to rotate about its axis winding up the band or tape.

It is also possible to increase the friction between the support and the tape to be Wound up or the object or mass to be rotated on the support by properly adjusting the frictional characteristics of the supporting surface, or in some event of the bottom face of the supported object. In this connection it should be noted that it is possible, for instance, to use a velvet-like material, the nap of which is inclined in direction of rotation so as to permit the object or tape to freely rotate in the intended direction while substantially preventing it from rotating in opposite direction.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in reproducing and recording apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for Winding an endless elongated band having a length many times its width, comprising, in combination, support means supporting a portion of said band on edge in the form of a plurality of convolutions, the inner and outer convolutions being interconnected by an elongated loop; agitator means for agitating said sup-port means to cyclically move the same along a substantially circular path and for periodically varying the contact pressure between said support means and portions of the convoluted portion of said band supported thereon for thereby rotating the convoluted portion of said band whereby said band is longitudinally advanced along the path which is substantially occupied by said loop; and guide means guiding said band for movement along said loop.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means includes a substantially horizontal support surface adapted to support said plurality of convolutions of said band flat-wise, said plurality of convolutions encircling a fixed substantially vertical axis when said agitator means is at rest and said agitator means imparting to said support means a Wobbling motion whereby said support means moves along a substantially circular path about said fixed axis, said support means having an axis coincident with said fixed axis when at rest and describing a conical surface about said fixed axis in response to agitation of said support means by said agitator means.

3. In an information recording or reproducing apparatus, in combination, an endless elongated flexible band having a length many times its width; support means supporting a portion of said band on edge in the form of a coil having a plurality of convolutions wound about a given axis and extending from an innermost convolution progressively to an outermost convolution, said band having an elongated loop which extends respectively from said innermost and outermost convol-utions interconnecting the same; agitator means for agitating said support means to cyclically move the same along a substantially circular path and for periodically varying the contact pressure between said support means and portions of the convoluted portion of said band supported thereon for thereby rotating the convoluted portion of said band whereby said band is longitudinally advanced along the path which is substantially occupied by said loop; and guide means guiding said band for movement to and from said convoluted portion of said band along said loop.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said agitator means moves said support means along said circular path in a direction opposite to the direction of winding of said convolutions of said band from said innermost to said outermost convolutions whereby said band is rotated about said axis in a direction to withdraw said band from said innermost convolutions and to return said band to said outermost convolution so that said band is longitudinally advanced along the path which is substantially occupied by said loop in a direction from said innermost toward said outermost convolution.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said support means includes a substantially horizontally disposed support surface portion for supporting said coil flatwise thereon, said agitator means being arranged to impart a wobbling motion to said support means substantially symmetrical with reference to a fixed substantially vertical axis located inside of said innermost convolution of said coil.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said elongated flexible band carries information and said guide means comprises reproducing means cooperating with said band for detecting and reproducing information carried thereon.

7. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said agitator means consists of a vibrator means resiliently supported for cyclical vibratory movement, said support means being carried by said vibrator means, said vibrator means includes a drive motor having a rotary shaft and a weight eccentrically mounted on said shaft for vibrating said support means and causing the same to undergo a wobbling movement in response to actuation of said drive motor.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said elongated loop has a portion extending beyond said outermost convolution of said coil, said guide means including a guide member located beyond said outermost convolution for guiding said band along said loop.

9. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising inner guide means having a portion located inwardly of said innermost convolution and adapted to cooperate with said innermost convolution to guide the band being withdrawn therefrom, said portion of said inner guide means being located substantially coaxial with a fixed axis when said agitator means is idle, said fixed axis being coincident with the axis of said circular path when said support means is agitated by said agitator means.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said portion of said inner guide means comprises a guide member mounted on said support means and extending through the space defined by said inner convolution of said band supported on said support means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising peripheral guide means located outwardly of said outermost convolution of said band for guiding said convoluted portion of said band for rotational movement.

12. An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising second guide means for guiding said coil for rotation in response to said motion imparted by said agitator means.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said second guide means are fixed to said support means and constitute a part thereof.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said cyclical motion is produced substantially symmetrically with respect to a given fixed axis, said second guide means being arranged to contain said outermost convolution of said coil within a predetermined region substantially coaxial with said fixed axis.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,882,024 4/ 1959 Behrens et al 259-1 3,161,993 12/ 1964 Balz. 3,276,709 10/1966 Harris 242-5519 FOREIGN PATENTS 172,600 5/ 1921 Great Britain.

BILLY S. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner. 

